I had three very young children and I was talking to a friend who had just sent her fourth child off to full day grade school. She was discussing her newfound freedom, lack of stress, and desire to do a few things for herself.

I was holding my newborn in my arms and had the most profound desire to hand my baby to my friend and run. I felt it in every cell in my body: freedom. Needless to say, I pulled myself together, didn’t run and now have three young adult children who seem to be doing quite well, despite their ready-to-run mother.

Yet, I think the desire to flee may also be a generational issue. Although I know my mother (and many of her peers) weren’t always thrilled to be handling mothering duties, I don’t remember any of them looking or acting as stressed out as women of my generation.

It would be easy to blame this high-stress response to the fact that most women of my generation both work outside of and inside of the home but I think that may be too simple.

So what else accounts for this strong desire to flee all of the stress and pressure?

3. There's a desire for perfection.

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Every mother I know complains or feels guilty that she’s just not doing enough.

She’s not cooking organic dinners enough, she’s not "playing" with her kids enough, she’s not volunteering at the school enough, she’s not teaching her kids a third language, and she’s not guaranteeing their Ivy "eague education by the time they are in pre-school.

It’s time for mothers to take back their lives! Our role in life is to not give up ourselves in order to raise our children. That’s nonsense. We are entitled to full and complete lives both as individuals and as mothers.

There is no such thing as perfect mothering and we should never seek to find it. There is also no such thing as perfect balance. Good mothering is the fine balance of caring for our children while also very much caring for ourselves.

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Ditch the outside noise that tells you that you need to make every moment of your child’s life your responsibility. You don’t and trust me; you won’t be doing them any favors if you take on that role.

Let go of perfectionism and adopt a "good enough" mentality. You will be happier, your children will be happier, and life will become simpler and more joyful. You won’t feel the need to run and you may just end up loving those years with your children.